How to Set Up a Camera Trap (Trail Camera)?

How to Set Up a Camera Trap (Trail Camera)?

Introduction

The use of camera traps has revolutionized animal photography. This is because animals have better senses than humans do. As a result, one may modify the creature’s behavior without their knowledge. For instance, one may have a scent that forces the animals to behave in a certain way. In addition, some animals and creatures are very elusive. They will go to extreme lengths to avoid any contact with human beings. A trail camera provides nature photographers with the opportunity to capture animals in their natural state. It is also an opportunity to capture rare creatures.

Study your Creature Carefully

If one is planning to capture a certain creature. It would be a great idea to know its exact dimensions. One also needs to learn everything there is about the creature’s behavior. This will make capturing it on camera much easier. In this way, one will enjoy more success in capturing the creature. Another important aspect of study would be what type of food it eats and how many times it drinks water. This makes the process of capturing it much easier.

Check the Quality of the Camera

When purchasing a trail camera, do not fall for the high megapixels count and do some research and read trail camera reviews online and visit sites like besttrailcamerareviews.org to learn about the most important features. Some of this camera will usually have a very weak lens. Capturing a good image of the creature is all about the lens. In addition, the battery life is also very important. Trail cameras are all about patience. Sometimes it may take weeks to capture an animal. It would be a great idea to have a rechargeable battery with good battery life. This will save one a lot of money.

Do not leave a Scent

Many creatures are very sensitive. Although something may not be sensitive to the person, the creature can definitely detect it. This is a common problem with most people, they smear the camera with the scent, and the creature just naturally avoids the path. This can be quite a problem as the animal may decide to migrate completely from the area. This is if it feels it personal space has been intruded too much.

It is essential that one handles the camera very carefully. It should preferably well covered when not in use. It can also be wiped down to remove any scent. The person setting it up should definitely put on plastic gloves. In addition, take care not to disturb the creature natural habitat. This will involve trending very carefully to make sure everything is left intact.

Be Careful When Setting Up the Camera

If one is after a huge creature, like a bare-sized creature, it might knock over the camera. The camera at such a place should be set up on a tree branch. In addition, one needs to examine the area where they set up the camera very carefully. If there are too many leaves, the might obscure the camera lens. This also applies for tree branches. One should make sure none of the other branches gets in the way of a clear shot. This will typically involve triggering the camera after setting up and seeing if the image is of good quality.

Set Up Bait

Baiting a creature should be done very carefully. If the bait has a very powerful scent, it may attract other unwanted visitors. In addition, one needs to be very wary of the law. If one puts the bait’s on another person’s property, the owner may sue for littering. As such, it is important to get all the required legal permissions, whenever necessary. It would also be a good idea to talk to the owner of a property. However, the food should be given in inefficient quantities; just enough to keep the creature around for some snaps. Otherwise, the food might alter the creature behaviors. This will mean it is completely dependent on the person for feeding.

Conclusion

Trail cameras are all about patience. One more point to remember is to keep the camera away from a place where it might be vandalized. The camera needs to be placed in a place with little human activity. The camera costs a lot and it would be a shame to lose it. In addition, when setting up the camera, consider the height of the target. A camera should ideally be set up at shoulder height.